Unemployment dropped in both Nova Scotia and New Brunswick in December — but things weren’t entirely rosy in the provinces’ labour markets.
In Nova Scotia, unemployment fell from 8.1 percent in November to 7.9 percent in December. However, only 100 jobs were created across the province.
With almost no new jobs created, the drop in unemployment is due mostly to people completely dropping out of the labour market.
Statistics Canada calculates a province’s labour force by looking at the number of people with jobs and the number of people actively looking for work.
Last month, Nova Scotia’s labour force shrank by 1,600: from 512,100 in November to 510,500 in December.
The numbers were even starker in New Brunswick.
The province’s unemployment rate dropped a healthy 0.6 percentage points, from 8.5 to 7.9 percent.
However, nearly 2,000 jobs were lost in the province in December. Unemployment only dropped as much as it did because nearly 5,000 people left the labour force.
According to Statistics Canada, New Brunswick’s labour force dropped from 399,900 in November to 395,200 in December.
Employment Stronger In Cities
While both provinces saw their labour forces shrink last month, the employment picture looks much healthier in Maritime cities.
Halifax’s unemployment rate fell from 6.4 percent in November to 6.2 percent in December. At least 1,600 new jobs were also created last month.
Moncton added 1,000 jobs last month and saw its unemployment rate drop from 7 percent to 6.3 percent. Saint John’s unemployment rate fell modestly, from 8.5 to 8.3 percent. That city added 900 new jobs in December. Fredericton data was not available.
Solid Canada-Wide Numbers
Across Canada, unemployment remained far lower than in the Maritimes—even its urban centres.
Statistics Canada says the country’s unemployment rate was “little changed” in December, at 5.9 percent. That puts it just slightly above the pre-pandemic unemployment rate of 5.7 percent.
About 55,000 more people were working country-wide last month than in November, with the biggest gains coming from full-time work.
Statistics Canada also says the average hourly wage in the country continues to go up. Last month, average wages grew by 2.7 percent (80 cents) on a year-over-year basis.
Trevor Nichols is the associate editor of Huddle, an Acadia Broadcasting content partner.
